Sales Tax Prep Software for Accountants and CPAs - Avalara

The benefits of using Managed Returns for Accountants

More efficient, more profitable

Challenge:
Businesses rely on your firm to manage sales tax accurately and on time, but the time and expense of filing and remittance across thousands of state and local tax jurisdictions isn’t always a profitable use of your resources.

Solution:
Avalara lets you offload the complex tax return filing process so you can focus more on audit preparation, nexus assessments, and other tax advisory services that can be more profitable for your firm.

More service, minus the drain

Challenge:
Many clients that need to comply with sales tax regulations don’t have the knowledge (or staff time) to do it on their own, but accounting firms often lack the resources to help.

Solution:
Give your clients the strategic consulting they really need and automate the tedious returns process with the same technology that handles over 2 million returns and prepares $8.4 billion for remittance annually.

Greater compliance, less risk

Challenge:
With 12,000+ U.S. tax jurisdictions, managing tax returns can be error-prone, as filing schedules, requirements, and tax obligations vary.

Solution:
Avalara’s cloud-based console provides a comprehensive tax content database. All the rates, forms, and filing requirements you need are built in and updated regularly.

Avalara Managed Returns for Accountants

Avalara Managed Returns for Accountants is a cloud-based sales tax returns solution designed exclusively for accounting firms. It enables you to extend your practice with sales tax preparation and filing services, and gives your clients all the benefits of a fully managed returns service while you offload the time and manual effort of providing it.

Provides an easy-to-use dashboard

Manage the filing process for all your clients and their returns from a single dashboard designed for accountant workflow, with customizable, multi-client views. There’s no need to juggle multiple spreadsheets or sign in to several systems or state websites. Everything is handled through one cloud-based system.

Automatically tracks state and local jurisdiction filing requirements

Managed Returns for Accountants automatically prepares tax returns based on the appropriate government forms and state and local requirements, eliminating the need to navigate multiple department of revenue sites.

Remits payments on your clients’ behalf

When it’s time to work with departments of revenue, we’ve got you covered. Once you approve a tax liability worksheet for your clients, we’ll handle the filing, payment, and related notice management (at your request) on behalf of your clients and keep you up to date on filing status.

Allows staff to work remotely

As a cloud-based solution, your staff can manage your clients’ sales tax returns from any location, keeping your business nimble and efficient.

Supports omnichannel data imports

Managed Returns for Accountants provides robust data import functions to easily aggregate client sales information from multiple channels and marketplaces.

Keeps client data safe

Managed Returns for Accountants provides strong security controls designed to keep your clients’ data safe. Learn more about our security on our platform page.

How it works

STEP 01

Import client sales data

Once a filing calendar is set up for your client, simply import your client’s sales data using a .csv file. Client records are now readily accessible through a single dashboard.

Illustration of a laptop displaying an Avalara tax form submission interface, accompanied by icons of a spreadsheet and a .CSV file, representing data integration and tax automation.

STEP 02

Review and approve client returns

Use a liability worksheet to review and reconcile client records. Once you approve the liability worksheet on behalf of your clients, your prep work is done.

Illustration of a liability worksheet and a client document for "FLY Inc." featuring a storefront graphic, representing business tax documentation.

STEP 03

Avalara handles filing and remittance

Relax. Avalara will manage filing, remittance, and tax notice management, if requested.

Frequently asked questions

The solution covers sales and use tax forms for most state and local U.S. jurisdictions and Canada.

Tax remittance is done with a single secure transfer from your client’s bank account to the Avalara Treasury account, then disbursed on your client’s behalf to each jurisdiction. This simplifies payment for the client without putting your firm in the funds flow.

Your clients don’t need to purchase or use Avalara’s tax calculation services. A firm using Managed Returns for Accountants can import client data from Avalara AvaTax or other external sources.

Yes. Avalara provides formal training and a certification program as part of the solution to enable firms to fully support their clients’ returns.

Avalara pricing is based on the volume of returns you manage. Connect with us for a quote.

The end-to-end tax compliance solution your practice needs with the flexibility your clients demand

AVALARA RETURNS FOR ACCOUNTANTS

Avalara Returns for Accountants is built to let you take advantage of our end-to-end workflow software to support your team on your schedule.

Support flexible returns timelines for improved responsiveness to client needs and scheduling
Take control over the entire compliance prep and filing process
Leverage the same filing automation technology Avalara uses for its own compliance services

Illustration of a professional woman using a laptop with tax-related software displayed on screens, set against a background of bookshelves and a blue overlay.

Why Avalara

Avalara handles over 2 million returns and prepares $8.4 billion of taxes for remittance annually. We’re a trusted leader in tax compliance technology and partner with leading tax experts throughout the U.S. For small shops that need additional expertise or large firms that want to embed our solutions into existing systems, Avalara makes life easier for both you and your clients.

Focus on more profitable parts of your business
Scale your business
Support client needs and expectations

"The ability to offer an integrated tax calculation solution across so many platforms makes Avalara our go-to sales tax solution."

Avalara Accountant Managed Returns Infographic

"Avalara Managed Returns for Accountants is the best solution that we have used. The UI is fast, the workflow makes sense and takes a third of the time of the other solutions we have used."

Ready to see what Avalara can do?

Schedule a demo to see our solution.

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Sales tax returns prep and filing for accounting firms